The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-08
THE ARTISAN WELLS.
GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS THAT
MAKE THEM POSSIBLE.

/ Comes From-An Immense Lake
Underlying the C!ty-Some Practical
| Suggestions as to the Uses OF the
Wells.
The artesian wells which have become 50
/ popular all along the Southeastern coast,
have been the subjects Of a good deal Of
/ speculation and study by both scientists and
layTnen, and it is not uncommon to hear the
| inquiries, where does the water come
from 'Fron what elevation in this fat
country does the water gain the
force that throws it above the
surface Of the earthT The questions
are natural. for it does seem strange
in country that is so level the subterra-
moan streams should have sufficient force to
throw their waters as they do To such an
elevation, but when it Is known from whence
| the water comes il ceases to be phenomenon.
Dr. George II. Stone of this city has made
artesian wells his pet study, and he has not
only acquired considerable knowledge upon
the subject, but he has developed some thee
ries as to its practical application that may
play an important part in the future devel-
oNnent Of Savannah.
THE EARTH's COMMISSIONS.
In order to make clear the theory of the
artesian wells of this section Of country it
viii be necessary TO 90 back few years and
| speak Of the time shortly after the earth had
| besn thrown off from the sun and while the
surface of this immense and then gaseous
globe was cooling III order that james Ogle-
| thorpe might have a solid spot on which to
plant Savannah. In one Of the great con-
WILSON'S of that period the Appalachian
range of mountains was thrown up
and from its base the granite of
which this part Of the world was
| composed sloped steadily down to point in
the sea 100 miles from the edge of the now
existing ocean, where it was broken off,
forming an abrupt precipice. The cOnvul-
sions of the earth dashed the primal sea into
| a fury such as cannot be conceived, its awful
power being sufficient to eat away the rock
back as far as line drawn southwest
through the points where Columbia, s. c.,
and Milledgeville Ga, are located.
So now this granite formation slopes
from the foothills Of the Appalachian to the
boundary of the primal ocean. where it de-
| sends for 3 900 feet, forming what is known
| as the Piedmont escarpment, then continues
| its decline until it reaches the precipice 100
miles out at sea. The subsequent deposits
| of rock and other matter have filled in this
space, from which the wedge was removed,
and form the portion Of the earth upon
which all the cities southeast of the bound
AIRY of the primal ocean are situated.
AN IMMENSE RESERVOIR.
The lowest part of this section, resting
upon the primary granite, consists Of bould-
ers that were broken off when the wedge
| was thrown out. and above them are the va
rious strata of rock and petrified vegetable
matter, concluding with the stratum of
Georgia sand that is 50 familiar to every
| one. Between 80 and 900 feet the strata
consist of layers of hard and soft lime rock
4 N oft GfE 70 -hnN
| is termed ''versicular carbonate of lime Of
tertiary origin having been deposited since
| the erosion OF the primal sea. Between 300
and 400 feet below the surface is a stratum
| of soft, porous rock about "a feet in depth,
and extending over the whole area between
the Columbia Milledgeville line and the
precipice 100 miles out at sea, and that
stratum is the immense reservoir that con-
tains the artesian water
| THE MID-oCEAN SPRING.
The water comes from the foot hills of the
Appalachian mountains and percolates
through breaks in the strata lying between
the foot hills and the Piedmont escarpment
| where it falls to this stratum of porous
rock and flows down, seeking the
| lowest part of the earth's surface,
the ocean. And this accounts for
the fresh water that bubbles up in the form
of an immense spring in the midst of the
l
from st. Augustine. The force of this mid
ocean spring is so great that two men can
not row into it, and ship can stop there
and take her supply of fresh water.
The point from which the water starts is
a good deal higher than Savannah, but the
friction of the water flowing through the
rock takes from it so much of its force that
when the stream is tapped the water rises
| only IL feet above mean low water mark
falling from 2 to feet short of the
level of the plateau upon which this
city is located. Dr. Stone has a well in
his yard, the level of the ground being
43 feet above mean low water mark and he
has to force the water up 2 feet with a
pump, but on the flats on both sides of the
city il rises above the surface to a sufficient
height to give great power, and there is
where DR.. Stones practical application of
artesian wells to the uses of commerce
comes in.
ARTEsIAN WELL POWER.
IF we could only interest few capital
lists" he said, I'VE could make the flats
around Savannah one of the busiest
manufacturing spots in the country,
and could furnish power cheaper than
anywhere else. If a syndicate would
sink say ten 10-inch wells and collect
all the water they would furnish into
a race way leading to an overshot
wheel they would have power enough
to run an enormous amount of
machinery, and besides the first cost of
boring the wells, they would have The
power free. The supply is inexhaustable,
for there is "a feet depth of stream, or
rather lake of unknown dimensions, and it
would furnish power all the year round If
this should be done, factories would be To-
Gated on the flats faster than would be sup
posed, and i'll "A comparatively short time
Savannah would be one OF the manufacture
ing centres OF the South. My next propo-
sition is to make the Ogeechee canal of
value. At present it is of no use, for
lumbermen have been unable to raft in il
for several years at time on account of
the low water, but if six or dozen wells if
necessary, were bored at its head they would
keep the canal so full that it could always
be used for rafting purposes, and thus il
would be a material aid to the lumber
interests. Ny third plan is TO flush the Bill
DO canal. AT present it is offensive and un-
healthful, and really something ought to he
done to cleanse it, and think the easiest
and cheapest plan would be to bore a few
artesian wells. They would throw their
wster 80 feet above the canal, and the fall
of 30 feet would give great deal of force.
The canal would he constantly flushed and
would Ike kept clean. These are things that
can be done, for the water is there and all
that Is needed is the Quite for IL.
ANOTHER STRATUM OF WATER
The water which is now used here and
WursaN l.. H. ~. a